Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $368 in Mandi versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $582 in Mandi versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $796 in Mandi versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Mandi costs roughly 70% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandi 72% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.13 ₹107

$4.63 ฿151

-75.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.34 ₹884

$46.84 ฿1,523

-80.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₹381

$8.84 ฿287

-54.52%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.0

$3.00 ฿97.4

-69.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₹40.95

$0.74 ฿24.11

-41.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.07

$0.37 ฿11.88

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ₹192

$2.44 ฿79.3

-16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₹268

$3.61 ฿117

-21.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ₹56.1

$2.26 ฿73.5

-73.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.23

$1.84 ฿59.8

-73.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₹73.0

$2.24 ฿73.0

-65.63%

Eggs

$0.91 ₹86.4

$2.32 ฿75.3

-60.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.84 ₹268

$19.67 ฿639

-85.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 ₹224

$3.65 ฿119

-35.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₹108

$3.39 ฿110

-66.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ₹71.2

$1.64 ฿53.4

-54.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.0

$2.41 ฿78.5

-76.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.86

$2.03 ฿66.0

-83.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.18

$1.56 ฿50.6

-76.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.46

$1.50 ฿48.66

-72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 ₹32.09

$1.02 ฿33.30

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₹22.75

$0.49 ฿15.91

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 ₹416

$4.45 ฿145

-1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 ₹798

$18.88 ฿614

-55.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

$1.78 ฿57.7

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₹213

$2.75 ฿89.5

-18.18%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.94 ₹563

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₹26.40

$1.40 ฿45.54

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.81 ₹833

$11.48 ฿373

-23.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₹75.0

$3.12 ฿101

-74.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.69

$1.00 ฿32.48

-78.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$14.09 ฿458

-89.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.35 ฿43.93

-20.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$12.9K ₹1.2M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-52.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.8K ₹1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$41.66 ₹3,942

$125 ฿4,063

-66.67%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.88 ₹367

$13.57 ฿441

-71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.29 ₹690

$18.52 ฿602

-60.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.18 ₹1,531

$61.5 ฿1,999

-73.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 ₹650

$16.84 ฿547

-59.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 ₹530

$9.19 ฿299

-39.06%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$65.1 ₹6,158

$698 ฿22.7K

-90.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,089 ₹103.1K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-93.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.17 ₹2,098

$57.8 ฿1,878

-61.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 ₹2,727

$35.24 ฿1,146

-18.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.32 ₹4,477

$113 ฿3,677

-58.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.71 ₹4,041

$86.4 ฿2,808

-50.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ₹11.7K

$616 ฿20.0K

-79.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.3 ₹7,316

$446 ฿14.5K

-82.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₹26.0K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-86.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ₹17.4K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-87.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,065 ₹100.8K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-71.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$558 ₹52.8K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-78.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 ₹40.4K

$524 ฿17.0K

-18.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

5.33

54.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mandi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $124 in Mandi and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $9.00 in Mandi vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $88.0 vs $292 per month, with Mandi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mandi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandi and Phuket differ by about 234% in total monthly costs ($368 vs $1,232 including rent). Mandi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $124 in Mandi versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 231% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandi – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $368 in Mandi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mandi and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mandi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.